Electrical Coin Co. (ECC) manages quite a few Zcash-focused digital properties, i.e., the z.money web site, the Zcash technical documentation hub, the Zcash Twitter account, and the Cypherpunk Zero web site and belongings. Stewardship of those tasks is a multidisciplinary endeavor involving content material technique, digital advertising and marketing, internet improvement, design, copywriting, group engagement, and extra.
In June, as a part of our efforts to enhance the digital footprint of the Zcash ecosystem and lay a basis for better group involvement, we launched a redesigned and refined Z.money. Right here’s what we wrote about it:
This web site relaunch is a milestone, however it’s additionally merely a begin — a patch of land to develop a backyard. Within the coming months, we’ll start working towards fostering better group involvement with the last word purpose of transitioning this web site and different Zcash digital properties into shared public items.
As a follow-up to this launch announcement, and Josh Swihart’s latest weblog about ECC’s proposals and plans for decentralizing Zcash, the put up you’re studying now’s meant to stipulate a course of (a minimum of the beginning of 1) to reimagine governance of z.money and different Zcash-focused digital properties.
Our hope is that, along with the bigger Zcash group, we will construct and enact a mannequin of communal possession and elevated collaboration — transitioning these digital belongings and instruments into shared public items, with a better variety of contributors and a extra consultant voice for Zcashers in every single place.
Sounds cool, however why?
We imagine making a decentralized possession construction, collectively managed by ECC and certified, impartial folks and groups is necessary for a number of causes, together with:
- Guaranteeing the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Zcash mission
- Encouraging variety and innovation within the ecosystem
- Enabling extra content material, extra collaboration, and a better attain
Scope of proposal
This proposal encompasses the next digital properties at the moment managed day-to-day by ECC. For a full breakdown of constituent elements, corresponding instruments/platforms and necessary dependencies, please see the addendum.
- z.money area and web site
- Zcash Technical Documentation (ReadTheDocs/Gitbook)
- Zcash Twitter account
- Cypherpunk Zero web site and belongings
Proposed decentralization course of
Broadly talking, we imagine the trail to decentralization needs to be incremental and structured as follows. It is a draft, meant to spur dialogue, and we welcome group enter on the method and timeline(s) detailed under.
Section 1 (Aug-Oct 2023)
Set up a transition job drive composed of ECC representatives and certified group members.
Starting with a proper group software course of, ECC will create a transition job drive to contribute concepts and information and oversee the transition. The duty drive needs to be comprised of representatives from ECC and as much as three key members of the Zcash group. This group of unpaid volunteers shall be chargeable for prioritizing tasks, creating the transition plans, partaking with the group, due diligence on trademark and authorized implications, and making certain a clean and orderly switch of obligations as applicable. The duty drive ought to mirror the variety of the Zcash group, making certain {that a} broad vary of views, geographies, and experience are represented, if possible.
See job drive choice course of proposal
Section 2 (Nov 2023-Jan 2024)
Develop standards for evaluating potential new possession buildings.
Based mostly on the evaluation and desired traits outlined on this put up, the transition job drive ought to develop clear standards for evaluating potential new possession buildings for z.money, the Zcash technical documentation hub, the Zcash Twitter account, and the Cypherpunk Zero web site and belongings. These standards will function a foundation for choosing probably the most appropriate candidate(s), making certain the chosen construction(s) aligns with group values, targets, and long-term imaginative and prescient. By establishing these standards upfront, the duty drive ensures a clear and goal choice course of that’s rooted in the perfect pursuits of the Zcash group.
Section 3 (Feb-March 2024)
Have interaction the Zcash group concerning construction(s).
To encourage group involvement and enter within the transition course of, the duty drive will clearly talk the specified traits of the brand new possession construction(s). By offering a mechanism for open dialogue and trade of concepts, ECC can collect precious suggestions and insights from varied stakeholders, making certain numerous views are thought-about within the decision-making course of.
Section 4 (April 2024 onward)
New construction is finalized; transitioning and monitoring start.
The brand new joint administration construction(s) is finalized and transitioning begins. To information the method, the duty drive and new proprietor(s) ought to develop a transparent roadmap outlining expectations and obligations, together with transition milestones. This roadmap ought to embrace key duties such because the handover or opening up of technical infrastructure and the institution of latest governance mechanisms. By offering a structured framework for the transition, the roadmap may help guarantee all points of the method are rigorously thought-about and managed.
As soon as the transition course of is full, the duty drive ought to formally conclude its work, acknowledging the profitable switch of obligations and belongings to the brand new co-owner(s). Following this, a post-transition evaluation could also be carried out to evaluate the general success of the method, determine classes realized, and doc insights for future reference. This evaluation may present precious suggestions for each ECC and the brand new co-owner(s), serving to to tell future decentralization initiatives and make sure the ongoing resilience of the Zcash mission.
ECC’s suggestions on construction
z.money area and web site:
The lately redesigned z.money expertise has been modularized to permit for a number of groups to handle varied content material sections of the web site. The related WordPress CMS, instruments, and analytics platforms may be flexibly permissioned in line with the wants of the group.
We might ideally wish to see people or entities collaborate with ECC to handle the content material inside sure modules, such because the Be taught and Ecosystem hubs.
Instance A: Entity X may handle content material for the Be taught part of the location, whereas Entity Y may individually handle content material for the Ecosystem part. ECC may proceed sustaining the general web site expertise, web site safety, related analytics, and internet improvement. Representatives from all entities may collectively sit on an editorial board to make sure cohesive content material technique and constant high quality. Funding may come within the type of Zcash Neighborhood Grants, a renewed Zcash Improvement Fund, or some mixture of the 2.
Instance B: Entity X may work with ECC to develop translations for z.money content material in languages apart from English. Funding may come within the type of Zcash Neighborhood Grants.
Ongoing prices:
- Internet improvement and design at the moment prices ~$2,500 per 30 days by way of outdoors businesses.
- Website hosting and software safety price ~$20,000 per yr.
- Hotjar at the moment prices ~$250 per 30 days.
- Ahrefs at the moment prices ~$199 per 30 days.
- WordPress plugins price in combination ~$250 per yr.
- Google Analytics is free.
Zcash technical documentation administration:
The present Zcash technical documentation is hosted by way of ReadTheDocs and is in want of updates. Ideally, a separate entity may oversee the platform, independently or together with ECC, with funding from Zcash Neighborhood Grants.
Ongoing prices:
- Copywriting and group administration assets prices TBD.
- Internet hosting prices ~$50 per 30 days.
@Zcash Twitter account
We want to see an entity or particular person (apart from ECC) assume social media administration obligations (inclusive of content material technique and manufacturing) for the @Zcash Twitter deal with. Funding may come within the type of Zcash Neighborhood Grants.
Ongoing prices:
- ~$250/mo for Sprout Social.
- The price to design visible belongings (ie. animated GIFs and movies).
- Copywriting and group administration assets.
Cypherpunk Zero web site and NFT belongings
Ideally, the Cypherpunk Zero world may very well be transitioned to an impartial workforce who may facilitate wider group participation and contributions. Maybe this might observe a transition and possession mannequin just like the proposal for z.money. Along with the location and NFT assortment (~2,000 items), ECC has three accomplished comedian ebook scripts that should be illustrated and packaged. This mission was placed on maintain in 2022 for price range concerns.
Ongoing prices:
- Internet improvement and design at the moment prices TBD (ECC is at the moment spending $0 per 30 days).
- Website hosting and software safety price ~$4,000 per yr.
- Fuel charges for switch of NFTs ~10 per asset.
Disclaimer: Any estimated prices are primarily based on present ECC infrastructure and configurations. There are different internet hosting and assist service choices that would trigger the operational prices to be larger or decrease.
Present questions, realities, and constraints
There are a variety of recognized (and unknown) points that we would want to deal with with the assistance of the group. Notably:
- The perfect funding supply(s) for entities that assist handle Zcash digital properties is to be decided. Funding may come from Zcash Neighborhood Grants, a revised Zcash Improvement Fund, or some mixture of the 2. We’re open to ideas from the group.
- The present Zcash Trademark Settlement and License Settlement might should be amended to accommodate people or entities apart from ECC.
- Another tasks (comparable to Ethereum.org) have the posh of counting on giant communities to crowdsource a lot of the day-to-day administration of their digital properties. By advantage of the Zcash group’s small measurement, we imagine a narrower, extra managed administration strategy is required whereas the mission is in its infancy.
- The perfect governance construction is to be decided and should require experimentation.
- The perfect function of third events (and the group’s means to carry them accountable) is one thing that might should be explored and codified by the proposed job drive.
- A shared Digital Property Roadmap, Type Information, and Design Rules (together with content material and model pointers) will should be developed and agreed upon to make sure Zcash is represented in a constant and applicable method.
Different necessary concerns:
ECC at the moment depends on the z.money area as its Google Cloud Supplier main community for quite a few items of essential infrastructure (e.g., nodes and construct procedures). Any change of area administration should account for a ~6 month grace interval to permit ECC to transition off the z.money area.
Subsequent steps
In March, we requested that the Zcash Basis present ECC with time and house for group engagement on this subject at Zcon4, with an intent to start strategy and planning efforts in August. That request was formally denied in June (and once more earlier this month), so ECC is planning to host a facet occasion, through the Zcon4 dates, and we invite the group to take part. Keep tuned for particulars on time and venue. If you wish to make certain you don’t miss this dialog, be happy to e-mail me at [email protected], and I’ll hold you within the loop. We’re excited to listen to from you straight and to work with certified members of the group on these efforts!
After this workshop, our hope is to kick off the duty drive choice course of talked about above and detailed right here.
Addendum
This proposal encompasses the next digital properties at the moment managed day-to-day by ECC. Beneath is a breakdown of constituent elements, corresponding instruments and platforms, and necessary dependencies.
Observe: Should you or somebody has a dependency that’s not listed under, please submit this manner by Aug 16, 2023.
- Z.money area, dependent infrastructure, and web site
- Area title registrar (at the moment by way of Google Domains)
- @z.money e-mail (at the moment by way of GSuite)
- Google cloud companies for necessary ECC-managed infrastructure
- Z.money web site frontend
- WordPress CMS
- Instruments and analytics
- Hotjar
- Google Analytics
- Ahrefs
- Confirmic
- Z.money hosting (at the moment by way of Pantheon)
- Z.money web site and software safety (at the moment by way of Cloudflare)
- Zcash Enchancment Proposals subdomain (zips.z.money)
- Zcash Protocol Specification
- zcash.github.io
- Technical documentation (ReadTheDocs/Gitbook)
- Zcash Twitter account
- Instruments and analytics
- Sprout Social
- Instruments and analytics
